Dynamics on PSL(2, \(\mathbb C\))-character varieties: 3-manifolds with toroidal boundary components (Q2347649)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a finitely generated group, and \(G\) be a reductive Lie group. Let \(P\) be any collection of properties such that if \(\rho\in \mathrm{Hom}(\Gamma, G)\) satisfies \(P\), then \(g\rho g^{-1}\) also satisfies \(P\) for all \(g\in G\), then \(G\) acts on \(\mathrm{Hom}_P(\Gamma, G):=\{\rho\in \mathrm{Hom}(\Gamma, G)\mid \rho \;\mathrm{ satisfies }\;P\}\) by conjugation. The space \(\mathfrak{X}_P(\Gamma, G):=\mathrm{Hom}_P^*(\Gamma, G)/G\) is called the \textit{\(P\)-relative \(G\)-character variety of \(\Gamma\)}, where for any \(G\)-space \(X\) we denote by \(X^*\) the subspace of points with closed \(G\)-orbits. If \(P\) is vacuous, we denote \(\mathfrak{X}_P(\Gamma, G)\) by \(\mathfrak{X}(\Gamma, G).\) Let \(\mathrm{Aut}_P(\Gamma)\) denote the subgroup of \(\mathrm{Aut}(\Gamma)\) that preserves \(\mathrm{Hom}_P(\Gamma, G)\) via the action \(\alpha\cdot \rho:= \rho\circ \alpha^{-1}\). Then \(\mathrm{Inn}(\Gamma)\subset \mathrm{Aut}_P(\Gamma)\) which shows \(\mathrm{Out}_P(\Gamma)\) acts on \(\mathfrak{X}_P(\Gamma, G)\) by \([\alpha]\cdot [\rho]=[\rho\circ \alpha^{-1}]\). In the paper under review, \(G=\mathrm{PSL}(2,\mathbb{C})\), \(\Gamma=\pi_1(M)\) is non-abelian where \(M\) is a compact, orientable, hyperbolizable 3-manifold, and \(P\) is the property that if an element of \(\Gamma\) lies in a rank two free abelian subgroup of \(\Gamma\) then its image is either parabolic or the identity. In this case, the subspace of \(\mathfrak{X}_P(\Gamma, G)\) consisting of discrete, faithful homomorphisms is equivalent to the space \(\mathrm{AH}(M)\) of marked, hyperbolic 3-manifolds homotopic to \(M\). The main results are the following. If \(M\) is further assumed to have incompressible boundary, then \(\mathrm{Out}(\Gamma)\) acts properly discontinuously on an open \(\mathrm{Out}(\Gamma)\)-invariant neighborhood of \(\mathrm{AH}(M)\) in \(\mathfrak{X}_P(\Gamma, G)\) if and only if \(M\) contains no primitive essential annuli. Under the same hypotheses, \(\mathrm{Out}(\Gamma)\) acts properly discontinuously on an open \(\mathrm{Out}(\Gamma)\)-invariant neighborhood of \(\mathrm{AH}(M)\) in \(\mathfrak{X}(\Gamma, G)\) if and only if \(M\) does not contain a primitive essential annulus or an essential annulus with one boundary component contained in a toroidal boundary component of \(M\). The paper is a pleasure to read. In particular, the introduction is clear and concise, and includes both a historical overview, and also an outline of the proof.